Research

1995-present Associate Professor of Biology, Lawrence University. Study of the molecular basis of development using chick and zebrafish model systems. Interests include exploring the fundamental molecular basis of development and understanding how the molecular basis of development can provide insight into mechanisms of evolutionary change. Current projects are focused on the role of vg1/mgdf1/zdvr1 control of left-right asymmetry using zebrafish as a model system. Please see the expanded statement later in this document. I have directed 48 students (27 since tenure) in summer or independent research.

1994-1995 Postdoctoral research, Vanderbilt University, Dr. Brigid Hogan, mentor.
Using the chick embryo as a model system, demonstrated that several of the key genes involved in limb bud development are also expressed in the branchial arches. Additionally, investigated the role of the TGF-beta related gene, bmp-4, in neural development by misexpressing this gene under the control of a heterologous promoter in transgenic mice.

1989-1994 Doctoral dissertation, Vanderbilt University, Dr. Brigid Hogan, advisor. Studied the role of the TGF-beta related growth factor, bmp-6, in embryonic development of the mouse. Emphasis was on the expression and effects of bmp-6 in the developing nervous system. In addition, produced a polyclonal antibody against hoxb-5(2.1) and used it to study expression and biosynthesis of this homeoprotein in vivo.

1989 Research assistant, Medical School of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.
Assisted in research examining the effects of progesterone on pituitary development in hamsters and on growth of MCF-7, breast carcinoma cells.

Administrative Positions

• 2011-present Neuroscience program chair, Lawrence University

• 2008-present McNair Scholars program coordinator

• 2006-2010 Associate Dean of Faculty, Lawrence University. Regular duties included chairing the Committee on Instruction, overseeing Off-Campus Programs including budgeting, co-chairing the Sexual Harassment and Assault Board, directing the faculty mentoring program, overseeing the Wriston and West scholars budgets, assisting in oversight of the budget for faculty/student research, providing support for summer research programs, providing support for Fulbright, Udall, and other scholarship programs, establishing and implementing an academic equipment budget, serving as the FaCE Liaison to the ACM. Additional duties included serving as the academic administration representative on the Committee for Teaching Development, the Committee on Assessment, the President’s Committee on Diversity Affairs, and the Technology Advisory Committee. Special projects included the list below.

• 2007-2009 REACCREDITATION - Directed institutional self-study for reaccreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association (NCA). Responsibilities included chairing a committee of faculty and staff to: review accreditation criteria; identifying evidence demonstrating the institution meets the criteria; conducting surveys of and meetings with faculty, staff, and students to collect data for the self-study; collecting data and documentation from all major offices on campus relevant to the reaccreditation criteria; communicating progress of the reaccreditation process to all stakeholders including faculty, staff, students, administration, and trustees; directing writing of all drafts of the self-study report, including the final report submitted to the HLC; and organizing and overseeing all aspects of the site-visit of the HLC review team.

• 2007-2008 LONDON CENTRE - Initiated a review of the operation of the Lawrence University London Centre to identify an alternative model of operation in order to preserve the program rather than terminate it. Identified a closed-program model with the Foundation for International Education (FIE) and worked with group of faculty to work with FIE to develop a financially viable program that maintained the distinctive curricular identity of the London Centre.

• 2009-2010 MAJOR CALENDAR CHANGE - Co-chaired an ad-hoc committee comprised of faculty, staff, and administration charged with making recommendations for cost savings during a trustee-mandated extended winter break. Work of the committee included extensive review of energy costs and projected savings for various building usage and shutdown scenarios; policies for student residency during the break; work hours for staff and faculty.

• 2009-2010 SHERMAN-FAIRCHILD GRANT PROPOSAL – Chaired an ad-hoc committee comprised of 2 faculty members from each natural science department to respond to an invitation to apply for a 5-year, $500,000 grant. Chaired meetings leading to the writing of the grant proposal and organized the subsequent site visit. Helped write the draft for the grant section for equipment for the biology department and then worked with the Office of Sponsored, Corporate, and Foundations to combine drafts from each science department to produce the final proposal.

• 2005-2006 Conducted all aspects of organizing a search and interviews for hiring a tenure-track position.
• 2004-2005 Organized and directed a year-long decennial departmental self-study and review.

• 2002-2004 Gender Studies Program Chair, Lawrence University

Current Research Interests and Activities

I have a long-term goal of understanding the role of secreted signaling proteins in differentiation and patterning of vertebrate embryos. My current research interest is investigating the role of genes encoding these proteins. More specifically I am focusing on the role of vg1, and its orthologs, in establishing the left-right asymmetry of the internal organs in vertebrates. The vg1 gene was originally identified in the frog. Orthologous genes have been identified in fish (zdvr1), chick (cvg1), mouse (mgdf1), and human (gdf1). My previous research identified the mouse ortholog and demonstrated that the mouse gene (mgdf1) functioned similarly to the frog gene (vg1) when injected into frog embryos. To further demonstrate the evolutionary significance of these genes, I plan to extend this work by conducting gain of function and loss of function experiments. I will use the mouse gene (mgdf1) and the fish gene (zdvr1) to demonstrate that these orthologous genes function similarly the frog gene (vg1). Loss of function experiments with zdvr1 are in progress.

Additionally, I plan to examine the mechanism(s) that control the expression of the functional protein product of these orthologous genes. To date, only the mRNA expression pattern has been determined. However, we know from biochemical evidence that the production of functional protein from the mRNA of vg1 is tightly regulated. This is apparently the case for mgdf1 and presumably for zdvr1 and cvg1 as well. Therefore, I plan to generate a fluorescently labeled ZDVR protein by producing a zdvr1 gene with a green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene fused to it. This chimeric gene will be injected into fish embryos and we will be able to visualize the fluorescent protein with confocal microscopy. Since the fluorescent protein is fused to the ZDVR protein, visualization of fluorescence will indicate the location of ZDVR. I am currently collaborating with Dr. Barbara Sisson at Ripon College to produce the fluorescently labeled zdvr1 gene

Professional Organizations/ Service

Society for Developmental Biology
Project Kaleidoscope, Faculty 21
Association for the Advancement of Science
Reviewer for online educational resources for the Society for Developmental Biology and the American Physiological Society

Grants Received

2011 - WiscAMP Small Grant $7000 – small grant to Lawrence to support 2 URM students in summer research. Sole author.

1996-97 – NSF-ARI Grant –$61,064 grant for a research grade fluorescent microscope with computer imaging system. Co-authored as PI with Bart De Stasio, Marcia Bjornerud, Elizabeth De Stasio, and George Smith as Co-PIs.

Lawrence University Service

Since arriving at Lawrence I have served on the following committees and task forces as a faculty member:

I have also served on numerous faculty search committees, been faculty advisor to numerous student groups and organizations, and served on selection committees for the Wriston and West, Rhodes, and Watson scholarships.